at The Nature Conservancy in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Job Description
OFFICE LOCATION
Arlington, Virginia, USA
AA100
This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity and within 5 hours of US Eastern Standard Time
#PDN
#Li-Remote
WHO WE ARE
The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world's toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One of TNC's primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we'll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply - we'd love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, "you'll join for the mission, and you'll stay for the people."
WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER
The Food Systems Resilience Scientist is a member of TNC's Corporate Engagement Science & Standards team in the Impact Finance & Markets Division. The Corporate Engagement (CE) team, one of four business units in the Impact Finance & Markets Division, provides technical leadership to translate the value of nature and conservation into actionable and standards-aligned strategies for agrifood supply chain companies.
The Food Systems Resilience Scientist will be responsible for providing technical and scientific leadership on a diverse portfolio of programs by consulting both internally and externally with our corporate partners on best practices in the sustainable agriculture space. A core function of this role will be integrating technical knowledge from the best available science and leading corporate standards frameworks to advance a portfolio of existing and new projects. This will require engagement across a range of topics in the agrifood nexus, including climate change, water and food systems resilience, improved livelihoods, biodiversity and nature, forestry, and conversion free commodities.
They will be highly collaborative across their immediate team and with scientists and conservation experts across The Conservancy. They will frequently represent TNC with external stakeholder groups, including corporate accounting and target setting standards.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
An essential function of The Food Systems Resilience Scientist will be to provide thought leadership and technical direction to TNC's work with the private sector. They will work across a wide portfolio of projects to identify opportunities to influence both TNC's work with companies and various corporate standards frameworks to ensure the highest scientific integrity and alignment with TNC's 2030 Goals for each.
They will become familiar with Corporate Engagement's entire portfolio of work to provide strategic direction, identify synergies, and capitalize on new growth opportunities. They will do this by forging productive and supportive relationships with their immediate team, Corporate Engagement, and greater IFM division along with engaging directly with companies and standards frameworks. They will work closely with their peers on the Science & Standards team on a collaborative leadership model, which includes mentoring junior scientists, securing legal review, preparing contracts, and rotating leadership of weekly team meetings.
RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE
- Support TNC's Corporate Engagement team objectives by working in a complex matrix organization environment.
- Manage projects and contracts to ensure timely execution of deliverables.
- Pursue new opportunities by coordinating with the appropriate teams, drafting statements of work, coordinating with partner companies, and fostering a proposed project through TNC approvals process.
- Represent TNC in corporate climate standards advisory bodies related to corporate emissions accounting, target-setting, and implementation frameworks as needed. Lead input with support from relevant experts from across the IFM division and others in TNC.
- Support and/or lead on the interpretation of corporate standards guidance in the context of TNC's work.
- Support and/or lead on staying up to date on multiple emerging corporate sustainability topics to staff and others, contributing to key projects and ensuring workflow.
- Interface with corporate partners and standards frameworks, often as the lead voice representing TNC.
- Enable the entire team to advance our work by finding synergies across existing projects.
This is a one year term position.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU
Are you looking for a career to help people and nature? Guided by science, TNC creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that people and nature can thrive together. We are a high functioning team who values collaboration, mutual respect, and curiosity. We're looking for a developing scientist to help us ensure our corporate partnerships are built on a foundation of robust science and accountability. If you are a scientist interested in creating impactful partnerships with corporations to deliver conservation benefits in agriculture, this job is for you!